The club colours may have changed and the team have thrown away promotion opportunities in the past but tonight's promotion comes 53 years to the day after a previous promotion to the old First Division. Cardiff City welcomed Aston Villa to Ninan Park that night knowing that a single point would taken them up. Cardiff won the match 1-0 and were promoted, but Villa went on to win the Second Division title to join them in the top tier.

The preview

League cauldron should boil merrily over Easter: Cardiff City need one point for promotion

By Eric Todd on 14 April 1960

Apart from Aston Villa and Walsall, who already are guaranteed promotion, and Cardiff City, who are as near to First Division football next season as makes no difference, many clubs will embark on the Easter programme with the realisation that this is their last chance to maintain their dignified positions or to escape from those less dignified.

Even so, some First Division issues may have to wait a little longer for settlement. On April 23, for instance, Wolverhampton Wanderers clash with Tottenham Hotspur at Molineux and this match may well decide the championship. Then on May 2 Burnley, who also have an interest in the title, visit Manchester City, whose parlous state is a duplicate of that 12 months ago.

The compiler of the League fixture list showed remarkable prescience if his desire was to have the cauldron really boiling this Easter. Several matches are between teams aspiring to talent money, and those struggling for survival. Wolverhampton meet Nottingham Forest twice; Tottenham have a home game against Manchester City, whose other games are against Bolton Wanderers, and, since Bolton have hopes of finishing among the top four, so City can expect no neighbourly compassion. Luton Town have to visit Burnley and Blackburn Rovers; and Leeds United's formidable opponents are Preston North End (twice), and Bolton at home.

Newcastle United and West Bromwich Albion will have a big say in things. The former have home games against Sheffield Wednesday and Wolverhampton on consecutive days, and the Albion twice meet Birmingham City, who are in the relegation area. Everton are not yet on safe ground, but they will be expected to take at least three points from their two matches against Blackpool, and that on Leicester City's ground.

Tottenham are not the power they were, judging by results, but they should not lose either of their games against Chelsea, and they will collect two more from Manchester City unless the latter, not for the first time, upset all prophecies. Manchester United, who have an outside chance or talent money, will not be overawed by the prospect of facing West Ham United twice, and meeting Blackburn Rovers, the Cup finalists, at Old Trafford. At such times as these, however, and with so many factors to be taken into account — injuries, mental and physical fatigue, heavy grounds, anxiety neurosis — the leading and bottom are just as likely to he tossed as they are to be static.

In the Second Division Cardiff City need only one more point to ensure promotion with Aston Villa and this should be forthcoming from their home games against Villa and Plymouth Argyle. Bristol City (36 games) and Hull City (37) are likeliest candidates for relegation. They have 23 points each, six fewer than Plymouth who have only four more matches to play. Bristol City meet Ipswich Town twice and Huddersfield Town once (at Bristol); Hull have two games against Derby County, who also are in trouble, and a home game against Sunderland. The prospects for the stragglers are not propitious.

Southampton have lost a lot of ground in recent weeks although they are still holding the lead in the Third Division, but their weekend programme looks easy enough — two games against Reading, and one at home against Accrington Stanley. Norwich City are at home against Grimsby Town and Halifax Town and should keep up their challenge, while Bury, who have two matches at Gigg Lane, may move into third place above Coventry City, who have to visit Southend United and Grimsby. At the other end of the table, nothing now can save Accrington, but there are so many clubs in distress that it is impossible to visualise at the moment which unfortunates will go down with them.

The report

Cardiff are home and dry

18 April 1960

Cardiff City beat Aston Villa 1-0 in the presence of 55,000 spectators at Ninian Park, and thus won promotion to the First Division with the Villa; otherwise, the results of Saturday's Football League matches made little contribution towards the settlement of championship, promotion, and relegation issues.

Tottenham Hotspur, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Burnley lead the First Division in that order, all with 49 points. Tottenham from 39 games, Wolverhampton 38 and Burnley 37. Much may depend on Wolverhampton's home game against Tottenham next Saturday, and Burnley's away game against Manchester City on May 2. Luton Town, with only three matches to play, appear destined for Second Division football next season, but Leeds United, winners at home 1-0 against Bolton Wanderers, Birmingham City, who beat Arsenal 3-0 at St Andrews, and Nottingham Forest, who drew 1-1 at Chelsea, kept alive their hopes of survive. Manchester City, with four points in two days, also are creeping towards safer around.

In the Second Division Hull City, held to a draw at home by Sunderland, and Bristol City. beaten 3-2 on their own ground by Huddersfield Town, have only 25 points – six fewer than Plymouth Argyle, who are in twentieth position. There now appears little hope for either of them.